


the words disappear

by Windmire



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Developing Relationship, Earth-2, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 16:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12303324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windmire/pseuds/Windmire
Summary: There's three main things Jason knows about his neighbor Richard "No, seriously, call me Dick" Grayson.Or: Jason's got a secret identity. He thinks Dick just might, too.





	the words disappear

**Author's Note:**

> So this is late! As will be the next one I post when...ever I post it lmfao. But for Day 5 of jaydick week: where I stretched "bruised and bloody" a little and keep finding new ways to knock Jason unconscious.
> 
> Also! This takes place in post-Flashpoint Earth 2, but if you have no idea what happened there, don't worry. Not like the pov character was in it lmfao
> 
> In all seriousness, for some very quick deets: this universe features Helena Wayne as Huntress and later Batman, Dick Grayson as Regular Civilian, then Batman, then Oracle. And his son with Barbara, John Grayson, as Regular Civilian, then after some shenanigans, Robin lmfao. Just to name the major players here! They work with... a lot of other heroes.

"Hey, Jason!"

At the sound of that voice, Jason pauses in unlocking his door, turning around to find his next door neighbor leaving his own apartment.

There's three things Jason knows about his neighbor Richard "No, seriously, call me Dick" Grayson:

One: He's got some super-secret job he never talks about.

Two: He lives with his... son? Little brother? Some kid who, whatever he is, looks a little too old to be his biological kid. Honestly, after months of living next door to them, he's a little too embarrassed to ask. But one way or another, Dick's responsible for the kid.

And three: He's drop dead gorgeous

That last one's really the problem.

Because Jason's just trying to keep things friendly between them. He's not shameless, he can keep his... _admiration_ to his damn self.

But goddamn if it isn't hard when he bumps into Dick in the elevator, in the hallway, out on the sidewalk with freaking Johnny standing by his chair and watching Jason suspiciously, and Dick turns that _smile_ on him and.

He's not too proud to admit it makes him go a little weak in the knees every damn time.

And Dick doesn't ever even seem to notice, just keeps giving him that damn smile. (Johnny just looks all the more wary and honestly? There's a smart kid. He had a single parent, too, he understands.)

The reasons to just keep things friendly between them though? They just keep piling up.

He's got some super secret job that might just end with him arresting Jason.

He's got some teenager with him that keeps giving Jason the stink eye.

And, most damning of all, Dick's a widower. He has no idea how long ago it was, but Jason can't just expect to swoop in and think he's got any right to the man's affections.

It's just. Hard to remember that, at times like this.

At times like this when it feels like Dick might actually be flirting with him.

Especially when, after Johnny follows Dick out the door, a darkhaired woman exits after him before Jason can return Dick's greeting.

"Hey," he says lamely, raising a hand in greeting.

The woman says nothing as she locks up behind her, as Dick waves back at him, and his smile feels like it grows fixed on his face.

"We were just on our way out," Dick's telling him and Jason snaps back his full attention on the man. Dick nods at the woman standing next to Johnny. "Helena was nice enough to give me a ride to work and..." His smile turns a little wry. "Johnny's tagging along today."

Jason very carefully does not glance at his watch, where he knows he'll see it's eleven freaking pm. Mentally, he checks an item on the list instead. Odd hours. Definitely some super secret job.

Or the guy just has a regular fucking night job, but all the evidence together doesn't quite point to that.

"Yeah?" he says, casual as he can. "That's nice of her. Johnny won't get bored though?"

Johnny glares at him behind Dick's back. That's more like it.

Helena snorts and Jason resists the urge to turn a scrutinizing eye on her. The unknown element here.

It's Dick who answers though. "Nah, he'll be fine. He asked to tag along, if you can believe it." Dick shakes his head, waving a hand in a vague gesture. "We won't keep you though. Have a nice day, Jason!"

"You too," he just barely remembers to say, tearing his eyes away from Dick's smile.

Helena flashes him a strange little smile, then turns around with Johnny before Jason can think to offer any goodbyes to them.

And if maybe, just maybe, there's an extra spring in his step when he finishes unlocking his door and he hears an _Aunt Helena_ drift back down the hall, well.

He's keeping things friendly. Really.

-

The thing is Jason's got a super secret job of his own. It's just his night job, and a real freaking unofficial one at that, one he's not sure his mother would have approved of.

Because by day, he's working on a master's degree, just like Mom always wanted. But by night...

Truth is Jason didn't have the best childhood, didn't have it real easy growing up. And maybe there was a gang he got involved in, maybe he got in some real trouble. And maybe he came out of it more or less okay, a little banged up, a little _scarred_ , so to speak, but he came out on the other side. With a mission.

And maybe he steps on certain other toes sometimes, but he's got his own part of the city to deal with, and it's the one only Batman and Robin seem to encroach in lately. But whatever. He can deal with them like he's dealt with everyone else who's tried to stop him.

It's worth it as long as the Red Hood can deal with the real scum out on the streets.

So the Red Hood, like all those other people whose toes he keeps stepping on, doesn't exactly keep normal hours.

Which is why he figures he _probably_ shouldn't be spotting his next door neighbor and his maybe-son when Jason casually strolls back into the apartment building at 4am, after a night of knocking dealers' heads together. And, sure, Dick can go out as late as he wants, he's a grown-ass man, but he's pretty damn sure it's a school night and Johnny hasn't finished up high school yet.

Probably.

Jason very carefully averts his eyes from the pair making their way down the hallway--sans _Aunt Helena_ this time--and mostly succeeds.

Unfortunately, Dick spots him, because "they can't see you if you can't see them" is horseshit, clearly.

"Jason!" And that's really the fucking problem with Dick.

He always sounds so fucking sincerely happy to see Jason and he just can't take it. He's only human.

At least Johnny's always there to balance it out, looking two seconds away from dragging off Dicm right on cue.

"Dick," Jason greets, because he's weaker than he likes to pretend he is. "Nice night, huh?"

As far as greetings go, it's one of his lamest ones yet, but Dick grins like it's the best damn one he's ever heard. "Yeah, nice seeing you tonight," is all he says, tone warm, as he reaches his door.

Up close, he looks fresh-faced and alert, not a single hint to him that he was out all night. Because he's fucking perfect, of course.

Jason fucking hates him.

Jason kind of just wants to stare into his stupid blue eyes for hours.

Before Jason can try to do something as stupid as just that though, Dick gives him an odd look, raising an eyebrow. "You okay? Hard night out?"

Jason chuckles, completely unconvincing, he's sure. Damn, he really must look more tired than he thought. Maybe this whole double life thing wasn't his brightest idea--and he usually only thinks that when he's dodging bullets. "Nah, just. You know, grad school," he says, waving a hand in a vague gesture.

Nailed it.

Dick smiles again, and looks like he might say something else, but the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupts him.

His smile turns sheepish and he twists to look over his shoulder and up at his kid. "Oh, Johnny, you've been waiting for me. Sorry." He turns back to Jason, shrugging, and says, "See you around soon?"

It sounds like a promise.

Try as he might to not be pathetic, Jason finds himself nodding stupidly, grinning like an idiot. "Yeah, 'course."

Johnny makes gagging motions behind Dick.

Jason ignores him and Dick doesn't seem to notice. (Or chooses not to.)

He can't really remember, again, why he wanted to keep things friendly.

Before he can say something he might not regret though, Dick gives him one last wave and ushers Johnny into the apartment, then enters right after him.

Shit.

-

The first time he runs into Dick outside their apartment building, he's just gotten out of class and is crossing the park he takes as a shortcut to the apartment building sometimes.

Like he's got some kind of fucking Jason homing beacon on him, Jason's eyes are immediately drawn to Dick, where he sits by a bench.

Alone.

This is a real fucking rare opportunity.

Feeling pretty damn silly, Jason slows down enough to make his walking past Dick's seat look casual, hopefully, and suddenly stops, as if surprised.

"Dick?" he asks cheerfully, moving to stand in front of him. "Didn't think I'd run into you here."

Dick looks up at him blankly for a moment, a moment long enough to make Jason wonder if he's crossed some kind of line here. Then a slow grin spreads across his face, the stupid _stupid_ kind that makes Jason go weak in the knees.

"I don't think I've seen you anywhere out here before at all," he says, teasing. "I was beginning to think you only came out at night."

Jason scoffs, mock wounded. "So says the guy with the night job! I'm just a poor overworked student."

Dick laughs, eyes bright. "Glad to see you're still alive, then. And getting some sun every once in a while."

Jason snorts, but doesn't make another crack about Dick's own odd hours. Instead, he jerks his head at the laptop on Dick's lap. "Not interrupting anything, am I? I'll get out of your hair if I am."

"Nah, it's just work stuff," he says lightly, but Jason doesn't miss how Dick carefully angles the laptop screen away from him.

Interesting.

"Sit down," Dick says suddenly, gesturing at the bench beside him. His raised eyebrow feels like a challenge. "If _I'm_ not interrupting anything."

Oh.

That's.

 _Shit_ , he does not want to even think of how satisfying it is to hear that.

So he spreads his arms, trying to fucking radiate confident and casual. "Not a thing. So don't mind if I do."

He drops down on the bench on Dick's side and, before he knows it, it's been half an hour and Dick's phone goes off.

Jason blinks, startled when he glances at the time on his own phone while Dick carries on a hushed conversation.

Shit. Has it really been that long?

"Sorry," Dick says, actually sounding disgustingly sincere, when he tucks his phone back in his jacket. "That was work, I've gotta go."

Jason raises an eyebrow. His _night job_ he thinks, but doesn't say.

"This was nice though," Dick goes on, averting his eyes.

Either Jason's seeing things or, for the very first time since he met Dick he's looking... unsure?

"I would..." Dick goes on slowly, chewing on his bottom lip. "...actually love to do it again sometime." He raises his eyes again, smile self-deprecating. "If you don't mind keeping a workaholic company."

Jason surprises himself with the laugh that bursts out of him.

He thinks he should probably ask Dick to pinch him.

He's tempted to not question it, to just take the offer at face value and agree to keep a neighbor company while he works sometime. 

_He's a widower._

_He's got a kid._ Probably.

_He's his next door neighbor._

But.

When's he going to get a chance like this again?

He bites down on his own bottom lip, to keep the nervous smile from spreading. "You asking me out, neighbor?"

He's _sure_ he doesn't imagine the way Dick just fucking brightens. "Only if that's what you wanted to hear."

"Yeah. I think it kinda was."

"So do I get an answer?"

Jason glances away. He considers not asking at all, but. "A certain someone won't be mad if I say yes?"

It seems to take Dick a moment to catch his meaning. Then he breathes out a laugh, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. Johnny..." He lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "Kids don't like their parents dating, you know? He's a smart kid, he can tell something's been happening."

"Something's been happening?" Jason can't help but repeat. He can't tell whether he wants to focus on Dick referring to himself as Johnny's parent, after all, or on what he's just about admitted.

Keeping things friendly, his ass.

Dick mock glares at him. "Your flirting wasn't that bad."

"Hey!"

That smug expression on Dick's face is more attractive than it has any right to be.

It softens quickly enough though, into something thoughtful. "We won't have my son sabotaging anything, if that's what you're worried about. He's usually a sweet kid, I promise."

"You know him better than me," he concedes, and ventures to add, "Looking real young for a kid that old, huh?"

Dick presses the back of his hand to his mouth, but Jason doesn't miss that split-second ridiculous grin. "Yeah?" he says, lowering his hand, face carefully pleasant again. "Thanks. I have a great skincare routine."

Jason rolls his eyes, letting his head fall back against the bench. He's being laughed at. "I'll save the personal questions for the second date, then!"

"So that's a yes?" Dick asks, and he's sure he doesn't imagine the hopeful edge to his voice.

"Make it so I can keep you company while you work over coffee and you've got yourself a deal, prettyboy."

Dick snorts. "I think I can swing that."

-

A day before his scheduled coffee date, a certain vigilante gets himself into a spot of trouble.

A huge-ass, gigantic spot of trouble, but fucking details, right?

In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have tried to deal with one of the city's oldest gangs by himself, but.

Well, he totally thought he had it covered.

He most definitely does not have it covered though, from his spot on his knees in front of one of the head honchos, arms held behind his back, a slow trickle of blood making its way down the side of his face.

He doesn't even remember when he lost his helmet.

But head ugly's going on and on with his intimidation speech and it probably wouldn't help his case if he rolled his eyes where the guy can see him.

A fucking pity.

And he's already running through an escape plan in his head--a real fucking good one, he's sure--when his regular pain in the ass bursts on the scene.

Batman and Robin.

Of fucking course they were after the same guys.

And maybe he's lost more blood than he thought, maybe the ugly-ass dickhead hit him upside the head harder than he thought. Because sometime between Batman decking the guy and what he's sure is Robin just fucking staring at him, the world goes dark.

Shit.

The rest of the ordeal comes in flashes, snippets of sound and sensation.

"What's he doing here?" Some kid's voice, plaintive, when the sounds of fighting begin to peter out.

"Failing at the same thing we were doing," he hears distantly, a woman's voice.

He thinks someone grabs him, lifting him off the ground, before he loses time.

A brief flash of some kind of moving vehicle.

When he next becomes aware, it's much quieter, just a distant low murmur of voices.

One of the voices, belonging to another woman, eventually forms words he can understand, "Crap. Okay, crap, what do we even do with him? Can we even turn him in?"

Someone snorts. "Don't bother," the same kid--Robin?-- says.

"No, just take him to Oracle," another woman says, the same one from the fight. "He'll just love this."

"Are you serious? Aunt... uh. _Aunt Batman_ are you really going to--"

"It'll be fine, Robin."

Jason's brain skips somewhere around hearing _Aunt Batman_. And he loses time again.

When he finally, truly comes to again, he's lying somewhere soft, a blanket up to his waist.

He slowly blinks his eyes open, squinting against the bright light of the room. The room, plain and simple, looking a little like a hospital room, slowly comes into focus.

Along with the man in a wheelchair, laptop open on his lap, sitting by the bed.

" _Dick_?" he croaks, sure he must be gaping like an idiot.

Dick looks up, eyes widening slightly, and snaps the laptop shut. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty."

Jason groans and doesn't bother to try to sitting up. "Yeah, yeah, thanks. Real appreciated."

Dick smothers a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Jason frowns, tries wiggling his fingers and his toes. "Uh. Like one big bruise," he says, grimacing.

Dick winces. "Yeah, I thought so. Doctor said you should be fine though. Batman got there before they could seriously hurt you."

Jason nods slowly. And stops.

Wait.

Wait.

Shit. _Batman and Robin_.

What the hell is Dick doing here?

Now, Jason's always been a smart guy. All his teachers always said. Really. And even in his current state, he can feel several pieces falling into place.

"I heard someone saying," he starts, pushing himself up into a sitting position now. It only hurts a little. "To take me to freakin' _Oracle_. 'Least I think they were talking about me."

Dick, asshole that he is, smiles at him. "You've heard of me," he says dryly.

He knows who Oracle is. Who the fuck in his line of business doesn't? But his next door neighbor? The guy who kept humoring his stupid-ass not-flirting and even asked him out?

 _He's_ Oracle?

Shit, Jesus fucking Christ. Maybe he got hit harder over the head than he thought.

" _This_ is your super secret job?!" he blurts out, louder than he meant to.

Dick stares at him. Then bursts into laughter. "So I guess I was just as subtle as you then?"

"What the fuck, you knew?!"

"Sort of? I wasn't really expecting you to _confess_ you're the Red Hood or anything, but I could connect the dots."

"So you sent Batman and Robin on my tail instead?"

Dick's smile is a little strange here, a little strained. "No, that was a coincidence. A good coincidence with how much trouble you were in."

"Pfft, nah." Jason waves a hand dismissively. "I could've taken 'em."

He very deliberately ignores the incredulous look Dick turns on him. What does he know anyway, he wasn't there.

Something else clicks in Jason's mind. "Your kid's fucking Robin," he blurts out.

Dick leans forward and that's definitely, _definitely_ , another laugh he muffles. "So neither of us was that _super secret_?"

"Nobody else sounds that annoyed when talking about me."

"We've talked. It's fine. I swear, he's a total sweetheart with all the others."

Jason winces. All the others... "All the others like Batman. And Superman. Power Girl?" he asks dully.

"And Green Lantern and the Red Tornado and..."

Jason shakes his head. "Dick. How the fuck are you and your buddies not giving me some _vigilantism isn't legal for you_ lecture? Maybe arresting me?"

Dick flushes. "Batman and Robin and Oracle might've put in a good word for you."

" _What_?"

"How are you feeling?" Dick says instead and carefully averts his eyes when Jason shoots him a look.

So he ignores the question, too.

"Seriously," he says in a lower voice. "You that obvious about being the super mysterious Oracle with everyone you meet?"

Dick's lips twitch. "No. Just with my handsome neighbor."

Traitorous body that he has, Jason feels his cheeks grow warm.

Goddamnit.

"So... Did my vigilantism just lose me my chance at a first date?"

Dick's answering grin is fucking blinding. "Nope."

He leans forward to press a gentle kiss to the side of Jason's face covered in the least amount of bruises and says, "I'm looking forward to it."

**Author's Note:**

> I went back and forth a lot on what Jason should be doing in this AU. Then decided the idea of all these secret identities was absolutely hilarious to me.
> 
> Thank you for reading! ♥


End file.
